Time: 21:56
Lie arrives in a crowded area.
There are five cars and one limousine.
The limousine door opens, and someone steps out.
A middle-aged man with long blonde hair neatly tied at the back, blue eyes, and a light yellow beard…
"Anything yet?"
"Nothing has shown up," replies Lie.
"I can feel it… If it's really what we think, then it'll come here. Especially now that I'm here. That would support our theory."
"Were the Kaishi ever this smart?"
"This isn't intelligence… just instinct. The desire to grow stronger by gathering more pieces. Mia's death already proves that."
"…"
"Tharyanos emits more energy than the other fragments… Besides, I already have all 11 core pieces and the side fragments too—over 30 in total. That's more than enough to lure it in."
"Just don't overstrain yourself. We'll handle it."
They begin walking together.
"X, status report."
"Negative."
They stop.
"Aren't you going to continue?" one asks.
Lie:
"To be honest… I didn't want you to come, Andrew."
Andrew smirks faintly.
They continue walking…
Suddenly, an attack comes from between the trees.
"There it is!!!"
Lie draws his sword and slashes at the attacking Kaishi.
"Fall back—"
Andrew places a hand on Lie's shoulder.
"Huh?"
"Stand back, Lie."
"But—"
Andrew pushes Lie back and steps forward.
A shadow slowly steps into the moonlight from between the trees…
The Dark Angel.
"A truly curious mutation… The wings never appeared…"
The Dark Angel charges forward.
But as soon as it nears Andrew, it freezes.
Motionless… unable to move.
Andrew closes his eyes… and reopens them.
"Tharyanos… Distortion."
The Kaishi coating the Dark Angel begins to detach, releasing a grotesque, unnatural sound.
Zack's unconscious body is revealed beneath.
"There you are… 666."
The Kaishi tries to merge again, emitting screeches.
Andrew intensifies his power.
Their screams become sharper—more agonized.
"Did you really think you could defeat me? Are you that arrogant? Fine. I'll give you a perfect chance to strike. If you touch me, I'll give you all of Jerusalem's fragments. But if I win… I'll take him—with Helios."
Andrew releases the Dark Angel.
It immediately retreats.
Lie shouts from behind:
"Andrew! Don't!!!"
The Dark Angel gathers all of Helios' power.
Two enormous Kaishi rise from its back.
The wind begins to pick up slightly…
Andrew smiles sardonically.
The Dark Angel charges again—
Grabbing Andrew by the throat, it drives both Kaishi into him.
It splits Andrew's body in two.
And shatters the halves again.
"I thought I heard something… like I won."
The Dark Angel looks around, trembling like a frightened rabbit.
Suddenly, an invisible blow hits from behind—
Separating Zack's body from the Kaishi.
A second blow liquefies the Kaishi, splattering them on the ground.
Andrew now becomes visible.
He gathers energy in his right hand, traps the Kaishi liquid within a sphere of power, and crystallizes it.
"There's something different inside you. You're not like the others… it didn't take me long to figure it out."
He hands the sphere to one of the soldiers.
"What did you think you were doing?"
Andrew ignores Lie and approaches Zack.
Zack's upper body is completely exposed.
The Kaishi embedded in his flesh left deep, fresh wounds.
He wears only pants—
The left leg torn above the knee,
The right still covered below the knee but with a large gash.
His skin is deathly pale—like Samarkand paper.
His hair has grown long.
Andrew kneels beside him.
Lie approaches too.
Andrew places a hand on Zack's body.
His expression changes strangely.
Lie:
"He's not alive… is he?"
"He is. But he's also dying."
Andrew puts his hand on Zack's face, trying to awaken him.
Lie yells:
"Don't! He's already dying—it's not worth it!"
Andrew pulls back, shaken.
"He won't wake up. Something… something is stopping him. A power even I can feel trembling before."
"What could it be?"
"..."
⸻
The ground begins to shake violently…
Zack opens his eyes again—
Back in the white space.
The mysterious girl sits beside him.
"T-this place… I thought it vanished?"
"It was your mind… This vision is a temporary realm I created. It will disappear once you die."
Zack tries to stand—he can't.
His legs… are nearly gone.
His arms too…
Even his head feels lighter.
"If the so-called God was going to do whatever he wanted anyway… why drag me into this?"
"Who knows?"
"You know."
The tremor worsens…
"What's that?"
"You're dying… this place is vanishing with you."
Zack tries to lift his hand—can't.
He looks to the side—
His arm is gone.
Even his shoulder is almost gone.
"So I really am dying… huh?"
"Do you think you deserve to live?"
"What's the point of asking that now?"
"Curiosity."
"I don't know…"
Silence.
Zack's abdomen disappears.
Now his chest is disintegrating,
His body turning to dust in the wind.
The Mysterious Girl stands up:
"Yes… this is it. Goodbye, Zack. You did excite me, at times."
"Goodbye… huh?
No.
In hell,
We'll meet again."
"Do you really believe in Heaven and Hell?"
"Hell is the world you created…
At the very least, I can say you destroyed the world."
"And?"
"…Like I said…"
Zack's chest vanishes.
Only his head remains…
He closes his eyes…
But something causes him to open them again.
Something unknown.
When he opens them—
His jaw is gone.
The vision shakes violently—
Cracking, collapsing, vanishing.
Zack's eyes glow red.
The veins in his eyes bulge.
The girl is gone…
He closes his red eyes for the last time.
The vision shatters.
And collapses.
Zack is completely gone.
⸻
Andrew, still inspecting the Kaishi core, suddenly senses something.
He rushes out and looks toward his team preparing to leave the forest.
Lie:
"What is it?"
"Where is he?"
"Same spot… Why?"
Andrew quickly approaches Zack's body and kneels.
Lie follows.
"Is he dead?"
"Yes."
Andrew places his hand on Zack's chest.
"Tharyanos…"
Then he whispers something—
So quietly, no one can hear.
From Zack's chest, a fragment emerges…
A dark, cracked, useless Core fragment…
Etched with "666".
Andrew stands.
And walks back toward his limousine…
⸻
The wind blows gently again.
The moon's beauty is breathtaking.
For a moment, everything is silent.
No one knows anything.
No one knows what's coming.
As if—
Just moments ago—
The seed of a great evil
Hadn't been sown…
⸻
The End of Volume 3: The Descent (堕落)
———
File #031
Sacred Sphere
The Tharyanos fragment possesses a divine power. It is known as the divine God of all fragments and the Sacred Sphere itself.
However, this power cannot be fully utilized by its bearers.
There is a limit to the use of Tharyanos.
Once that limit is exceeded, it draws from the user's life energy. This accelerates death.
The longest recorded bearer of Tharyanos survived for 8 years.